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Youth Conservation Leadership Crew FAQ

SCA accepts applications on a rolling basis. However, we can only guarantee a review of your application if it is completed by the deadline. Our Leadership Crew application deadline is March 15th. Spots on Conservation Leadership Crews are competitive! Complete your application today!

No, just ample supplies of enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and a commitment to give it everything you’ve got. Keep in mind that a high comfort level with certain situations – such as sleeping in a tent, interacting with wildlife, or making do without regular hot showers – will likely result in an enhanced SCA experience.

To start an application, visit SCA’s online management system, MySCA. You’ll need to create a new account and follow the step-by-step instructions. You can also watch a tutorial on how to use the new MySCA system. Be sure to enter the appropriate Promo Code for the program that you are interested in.

There is a one-time application fee of $25 ($40 for non-US citizens). A single payment allows you to apply for an unlimited number of positions. You may pay by credit card online or send a check or money order to: SCA Center for Conservation Service, PO Box 550, NH 03603. If you have any questions, please contact Admissions staﬀ at 603.543.1700 ext. 1499.

Each crew contains 8 members who are similar in age but diverse in experience and backgrounds. Members on each crew are usually an even mix of boys and girls. Each crew includes two experienced crew leaders.

SCA takes great care in selecting its crew members. Each candidate is evaluated individually based on the materials they provide. Please understand that this is a competitive process, and that there is no guarantee of being selected. Once your application is completed, we will review all of your information. There are several diﬀerent criteria that are considered for placement. Following is a list of criteria we look for in an applicant, in order of importance:

These criteria reﬂect the care we take to ensure that all members receive a placement they are well suited for. We begin notifying candidates of their placement in early spring. Once an acceptance is received, SCA will send Selection and Payment information, which includes the Participant Agreement, and other relevant Selection forms. These must be completed before a member enters the ﬁeld.

All crew candidates are responsible for paying the one-time $25 SCA application fee and for covering the cost of travel between their home and the crew location. Leadership Crew members also pay a tuition based on the length of their crew. The Leadership Crew program page has current tuition rates.

You may also have some costs associated with gear. Crew members are responsible for providing their own personal gear, such as sleeping bags, backpacks, and water bottles. Visit the crew Gear Page and the SCA store for detailed gear lists and purchase and rental options through SCA.

Financial aid is available to all crew candidates on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis. Financial aid application details will be provided to selected members.

We oﬀer a generic list of equipment. Please do not buy all the items on it until you talk with your crew leader about your speciﬁc program. Your leader or our staﬀ in the oﬃce can give ideas of what to bring for your speciﬁc location. SCA has some equipment for rent and information will be in your selection forms.

A ﬁnancial aid form will be included in your selection information. You should submit this completed form to SCA and, if you qualify, we will reimburse you for part of the tuition or travel costs associated with the program. Please note that the ﬁnancial aid pool is limited, and we may not be able to grant the full amount requested.

All of our leaders are caring and dedicated outdoor professionals who have experience conducting youth programs and outdoor activities. They come from a wide range of backgrounds. Some are attending graduate school, while others are school teachers or year-round outdoor leaders. They are all 21 years of age or older and hold current wilderness medicine certiﬁcations. Crew leaders have primary responsibility for conducting all aspects of the National Crew program, including meeting you at the airport, shopping for food, setting up camp, and conducting the program to ensure the emotional and physical wellbeing of all crew members.

There is free time at the end of the day, both before and after dinner. Some evening activities may include swimming, hacky sack, or a card game. Each crew will also have some days oﬀ and the crew will decide as a team what they will do on their time oﬀ. These days are usually used to explore the area or learn something about the environment of the region or participate in a training.

You and your parents will schedule and pay for your transportation. You should use whatever method is the most feasible. In most cases, this will be a ﬂight that is scheduled to arrive by the time speciﬁed on your placement email. Your crew leader will meet you at the airport and provide transportation to the camp site. We recommend that members travel with a cell phone so that they can use it to contact their leaders and parents if their ﬂight is delayed.

It is important that you travel to the airport speciﬁed on your placement email and not a larger or cheaper airport. Your crew leaders will inform you and other members of your crew of travel day details before you leave home.

We discourage crew members from having their cell phones powered on while on crew. Crew leaders carry radios and/or cell phone for emergency use and parents are able to contact students through SCA’s 24-hour Emergency Line. Members are encouraged to travel with a cell phone but are then required to hand them over to the leader for safe keeping. Occasionally members will call home to check in when there is cell service.

Because the nature of the Conservation Leadership Crews involve travelling from site to site, we ask that no care packages be sent. We may be able to arrange for letters to be delivered to the crew, discuss this with your crew leaders.

Because the nature of the Conservation Leadership Crews involve travelling from site to site, the logistics of arranging for visitors will be challenging. We ask that parents and other friends and family members refrain from visiting the crews.

The tuition for Leadership Crews is $2750 for 3 week positions and $3000 for 4 week positions. Participants are also responsible for travel costs and for providing personal equipment including a backpack, sleeping bag and sleeping pad.

Each day is a little bit different on Leadership Crews. Some days will have a heavy focus on service projects, while other days will include longer training sessions on leadership, wilderness medicine, and outdoor living. Days will often have a mix of service project work time and focused learning time.

On typical service days, members get up around 6:30 AM and take turns preparing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen and camp site. Everyone then packs a lunch and heads off to the project site. Crews work approximately 8 hours, taking time out for lunch and breaks. At the end of the day, the crew members head back to camp and take turns preparing dinner and cleaning up. Evenings may be unstructured, with time for reading, writing letters, or playing games, or they might include a learning session.

Typical service days will follow a similar structure, but members will take part in focused trainings instead of, or in addition to, working on service projects.

Parents' Corner

Your child is about to embark on a life-changing experience, where they will have the opportunity to meet new friends, explore potential careers, gain leadership skills, and accomplish hands-on conservation work that will have a lasting impact on the planet.